Programme Specialist

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Description

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Under the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences Sector (ADG/SHS), strategic guidance from the Director for Research, Ethics and Inclusion and direct supervision of the Chief of Inclusion, Rights, and Intercultural Dialogue Section, the Programme Specialist is responsible for conducting research, mobilizing partners in the academic field and for analyzing, implementing and monitoring projects and activities within the Inclusion, Rights and Intercultural Dialogue Section, contributing to work on fostering human rights-based science ecosystems that are driven by universal principles and standards as enshrined in the 2017 UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers (2017 Recommendation) and within that framework to the implementation of the UNESCO Programme on promoting scientific freedom and the safety of scientists and the related Call to Action in connection with the right to science. 

The incumbent, working within the frameworks of UNESCO’s Medium Term Strategy (C/4), the approved Programme and Budget (C/5) and global development plans such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, will guide the technical development of sectional, cross-sectional and divisional projects and activities, financed by core and voluntary funding; provide recommendations on project feasibility and possible collaborations; engage with substantive developments in relevant technical fields; and manage relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to provide expert technical advice.

Specifically, the incumbent shall undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

Advice and Knowledge Production:

• Undertake, quality assure and assist with the coordination of research and analysis to understand trends, developments and solutions to advance human rights-based science ecosystems with emphasis on the freedom and safety of scientists and the right to science, contributing to the development of high-quality, policy-relevant knowledge products;
• Provide technical advice to internal and external stakeholders on policies, mechanisms and key capacities that can help address different challenges to freedom and safety of scientists and more broadly factors that undermine trust in science and science-driven decision-making as key components of human rights-based science ecosystems;
• Engage with and keep abreast of developments related to trust in science, misinformation and disinformation, science-driven decision-making, science-society nexus, freedom and safety of scientists, the right to science- in order to both design programmatic work and provide effective technical advice;
• Ensure technical backstopping and support support to field projects related to the 2017 Recommendation and the Programme on promoting scientific freedom and the safety of scientists. 

Programme Implementation:

• Implement, monitor, evaluate and report on projects and activities relating to the 2017 Recommendation and the Programme on promoting scientific freedom and the safety of scientists, advancing research, capacity-building, normative reinforcement and advocacy;
• Provide programme and project support including, but not limited to, developing proposals, defining and revising project documentation, managing contracting, overseeing financial management, coordinating junior staff and overseeing monitoring, evaluation and learning;
• Provide project implementation support to field operations, including through the provision of analytical support for project design, delivery of technical advice at key implementation junctures, involvement in training and capacity building, and assistance in the contextualisation of globally positioned resources;

Partnership Management:

• Build, maintain, and enhance working relations with concerned UN agencies, development banks, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, national/local authorities, and practice networks;
• Participate actively in relevant thought leadership initiatives, networks, and events – including interagency working groups – to position the work of UNESCO in fields relating to the 2017 Recommendation and the Programme on promoting scientific freedom and the safety of scientists; 
• Develop, nourish, and leverage relationships with external knowledge partners – including universities, think tanks, and civil society organisations – to stay afore of relevant developments and mobilise cutting edge knowledge partnerships in implementing the 2017 Recommendation and the Programme on promoting scientific and the safety of scientists and.

Resource mobilization: 

• Contribute to resource mobilization by actively developing and following up on proposals, cultivating relationships with potential donors, and engaging in efforts to enhance the technical credibility and reputation of the programme.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in the field of Social and Human Sciences or related field.
• Expertise in the human rights in UNESCO’s fields of competence and particularly the human rights to science.

Work Experience

• Minimum four (4) years of progressive professional experience relevant to research in social sciences, social policy and social transformation of which preferably 2 years acquired at international level.
• Proven experience in leading high-quality research and analysis on related themes.
• Proven experience in fund-raising and other resource mobilization mechanisms and in managing knowledge-led programmes and projects on related themes.

Languages

• Excellent knowledge (written and spoken) of English and good knowledge of French.

Source: https://careers.unesco.org/job/Paris-Programme-Specialist-(Social-and-Human-Sciences)/798956202/

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